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Enhanced Access


Enhancing patient access to care is essential for improving patient outcomes, improving patient experience and reducing healthcare costs. Enhancing patient access begins with a commitment to eliminating barriers to care including those related to a patient’s ability to pay. This means providing patients with 24/7 access to their care team during office hours; and, when the practice is closed, providing access to advice through a live coverage system. PCMH practices are able to create capacity to care for patients in as close to real-time as possible by providing patients with a variety of patient- and family-centered options that also promote practice efficiency (same-day appointments, telephone, email and group visits).

Key changes for Enhanced Access:


Enhanced Access Resources

Implementation Guide

Enhanced Access Executive Summary

Enhanced Access: Providing the Care Patients Need, When They Need It
This Implementation Guide provides strategies and tactics practices can use to enhance patient access by eliminating barriers to care, balancing supply and demand, and creating capacity to provide care in real-time.

Tools

Guide to Appointment Confirmation Calls
Secret Shopper Exercise
Time to Third Next Available Appointment
Sample On-Call Guidelines
No-Show Management Guide
Standardized Switchboard Process Map
Building Better Care’s Open Access Management Implementation Toolkit

Webinars

Using Technology for Improved Access: Secure Messaging (April 24, 2012)
Moderator: Donna Daniel, PhD, Qualis Health
Speakers: Carl Serrato, PhD, Kaiser Permanente; Sally Retecki, MBA, CareOregon, formerly with Kaiser Permanente; Matthew Handley, MD, Group Health Cooperative; L. Gordon Moore, MD, Ideal Health Network
Audio & video program
Presentation slides

Enhanced Access: Extending Care Services to 24 Hours/7 Days a Week (October 12, 2010)
Moderator: Donna Daniel, PhD, Qualis Health
Speakers: L. Gordon Moore, MD, Ideal Medical Practices (Seattle, WA); Soma Stout, MD, Revere Family Health Center at Cambridge Health Alliance (Boston, MA)
Audio & video program
Presentation slides